


Snuff

by orphan_account



Category: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson
Genre: Hastie is protective, Heartbreak, Henry reminds him of his sister, M/M, OW, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-06-30 12:04:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19852801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: And Henry Jekyll genuinely loved Gabriel Utterson, loved just like he felt anything else, with emotions overpowering and screaming in his chest. Gabriel knew that, knew he wouldn’t be able to fake his affection, knew he couldn’t bring himself to, and yet.





	Snuff

**Author's Note:**

> SO HEy. This is set during the trio's college days, hence why Jekyll is infamous and feared. It's heavily implied in the book that Henry was,,,, w i l d when he was younger.

Heartbreak truly was the original disease, thought Hastie as he sat next to his sobbing friend. To say he was shocked would be an understatement, he had truly been convinced Gabriel had returned Harry’s romantic affections. As he processed this, he glanced at the poor, aforementioned boy. The young man was a complete mess, with a swollen face and bright hair in disarray. The complete opposite of what you would think when someone mentioned the infamous and feared Henry Jekyll.

He could only watch as Harry wrapped his arms around himself, trying to mimic that last hug Gabriel had gifted him with before departing for God knows how long. Hopefully a long while, Hastie bitterly concluded. He wasn’t one for anger in romantic situations, but seeing Harry worked up in such a fit made his gut clench in ways it hadn’t since his sister came home, crying tears of black over a ripped dress. Her date had gone horrifically wrong, in the worst way possible, and watching his closest friend, he could only imagine her in his mind.

Perhaps it wasn’t heartbreak that was the disease, but love itself. It gave the sufferer an inability to protect themselves against any threat of the heart, and was inevitably their ruining. And Henry Jekyll genuinely loved Gabriel Utterson, loved just like he felt anything else, with emotions overpowering and screaming in his chest. Gabriel knew that, knew he wouldn’t be able to fake his affection, knew he couldn’t bring himself to, and yet. Yet here Hastie sat next to a heartbroken friend, unable to heal him the way he would a physical ailment. 

Could only watch as Harry avoided any attempt at comfort Hastie tried to give, oblivious to anything but the burning ache in his chest and the thick tears streaking down his red face. Hastie Robert Lanyon had never felt more useless in his life, and could only sit and curse the world for creating something as intoxicating as love. He was only able to agonize over what he could have done differently, if he could have done anything differently, to correct a fate-given mistake. 

He had to force himself to sit still as he watched Harry slowly reduce from hysterics to a gentle sob, hiccuping with every breath he tried to use and calm himself. Doubtless hours had passed since they came from that blasted party, both slightly drunk and all the more emotional for it. Every so slowly, an eerie silence had overtaken the room during his reflection, and as he turned to look at his friend his chest ached as well. A strange numbness seemed to have overtaken Harry, an exhaustion only brought on by the most extenuating circumstances. 

He allowed Harry to lean against his torso, and wrapped an arm around him when he felt the shivers wracking his thin body. Hastie also allowed him to fall into a light doze, unwilling to move and wake him from his foreign calmness. 

Perhaps the worst part of this entire thing, Hastie pondered, was the fact that nothing had truly changed. The world still turned, and people still chattered around, and Gabriel Utterson would still act as if nothing happened and treat Henry Jekyll with the care of an old friend, but only a friend. Everything stayed the same, and yet somehow it changed.


End file.
